Nurse Staffing Plan: Concepts, Objectives, and Strategies

Kate Chapin, RN, provides direct patient care at John Brown Memorial Hospital, a 250-bed community hospital. Kate has been practicing as an RN for 5 years. She has recently been selected by her peers to serve on a new Hospital Staffing Advisory Committee at her hospital. The purposes of this committee are to annually (1) set the nursing (licensed and unlicensed) staffing levels of the 12 specific hospital units in the hospital and (2) determine criteria for evaluating the staffing plans using appropriate nurse-sensitive data. Twice a year, the committee will also supervise the evaluation of each of the unit staffing plans and will report the results to the hospital board of trustees.

In addition to her role on the Hospital Staffing Advisory Committee, Kate will serve as part of the steering group responsible for the initial implementation of this committee. Others on the steering group include two additional direct care providers, a nurse manager of a medical-surgical unit, the director of ICU services, and the chief nursing officer. The steering group must first identify the knowledge that the members of the staffing committee should have to develop and evaluate unit staffing plans. Then the group must develop an orientation process for this committee. The steering group is also responsible for developing a time line for the work that is to be done by the Hospital Staffing Advisory Committee over the next 6 months.

1. What concepts or subjects should be included in the orientation of the Hospital Staffing Advisory Committee to ensure that committee members function effectively?
2. Members of the Hospital Staffing Advisory Committee will have various levels of knowledge regarding current research on nursing staffing and the financial implications of various staffing models. Identify three or four articles in professional journals that would be helpful for the committee to read as background information before the time of orientation.

          3. Develop four objectives that the Hospital Staffing Advisory Committee should accomplish to implement an effective staffing plan for nursing units in the hospital.

           4. The John Brown Memorial Hospital has never had a hospital committee responsible for staffing. What strategies would the committee recommend to the chief nursing officer to ensure that all nursing staff members (and other stakeholders, such as physicians) understand the purpose and function of the committee?